Saturday, August 21, 2010

RE: The neocolonial path to power

August 22, 2010

Prof Dr Mohan Lohani
Tribhuvan University

Dear Prof Lohani

As I had been busy and then I was in Thailand to meet my daughter’s family (comprising her better half and cute daughter), I could only write after some gap. Thank you so much for sending your comments.

A lot of people “wax eloquent”, as you have appropriately termed it, about Bhutan model without fully understand its ramifications and manifestations. Even if the model was sustainable for India financially and, therefore, replicable in Nepal, this not a path for us to follow as it will be foolhardy for a sovereign and independent country to aspire to become Indian protectorate. It is high treason on the part of those people in Nepal wanting to convert it into a protectorate of India. Our forefathers have shed plenty of blood and innumerable lives were lost to ensure that we were never colonized as contrasted from India. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of Nepali version of Lendup Dorjes, to cite an example from Sikkim, whose conscience allows them to “transform” Nepal into Bhutan or even Sikkim . One particular person, professing to call himself hydropower expert, has been going about advocating that we should allow India to take care of our army publicly (on TV and radio programs) which will be tantamount to colonization of Nepal by India. I feel ashamed to have known such a person. However, I am glad that there are people like you who wont let any grass grow under their feet in this respect.

It was nice going through your article after a long gap.At a time when champions of the Bhutan model wax eloquent over the sustainability of hydro projects in Nepal with India's financial assistance,you have categorically stated that such model is not 'replicable' and sustainable in Nepal and as a senior water resource analyst your analysis of why Nepal can't follow the Bhutan model sounds convincing and again,I wonder whether our policy makers are still interested in inviting India to finance our mega projects on their terms,not ours.